Conventionally, in terms of resource saving and environmental protection, a recording information updating apparatus and a recording information updating method are known in which a reversible thermal recording medium where a color appears and disappears by heat is applied to a shipping container label of a conveyor-style logistic system, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-231647 (which is hereinafter called Patent Document 1).
In the recording information updating apparatus and the recording information updating method disclosed in Patent Document 1, writing is performed by pushing a thermal head onto the label. However, because it is difficult to fix the thermal head to the reversible thermal recording medium, a lot of devices and methods have been developed that perform non-contact recording and erasing by using a laser, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-76122 (which is hereinafter called Patent Document 2) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2001-88333 (which is hereinafter called Patent Document 3).
Patent Document 2 discloses a recording information updating apparatus where a single laser apparatus performs recording and erasure by deflecting a laser and by scanning a stopping reversible thermal recording medium by the laser. Also, Patent Document 3 discloses a record erasing apparatus that performs recording and erasure by scanning a reversible thermal recording medium by moving the reversible thermal recording medium with respect to a static laser.
In this way, by using the laser, the recording and erasing can be performed onto the reversible thermal recording medium without contact, and the reversible thermal recording medium can be used as the shipping container label of the conveyor-style logistic system.
However, such as a configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2, in the record information updating apparatus where the single laser apparatus performs both of the recording and erasure by deflecting the laser for scanning, a problem of a takt time being longer has been caused. Here, the “takt time” means a time needed to assemble or to process a product in a certain assembly station or a process station in a manufacturing line, or a total time to produce a product in a manufacturing line. The takt time may be roughly called a “cycle time”. The takt time may aim to set the production rate so as to meet customer's demand, or may aim to indicate productivity or throughput.
Moreover, even if two laser apparatuses are provided, and erasing and recording are performed by the respective laser apparatuses, because erasing needs more energy than recording, a problem of an erasing time being delayed compared to a recording time has occurred.
Furthermore, even if the method of the reversible thermal recording medium being stopped and scanning being performed by deflecting the laser is adopted, since moving and stopping the shipping container takes time, a problem of a time allotted for erasing in a takt time being short has occurred.
In addition, such as a configuration disclosed in Patent Document 3, in the record erasing apparatus that performs scanning by fixing the laser and by moving the reversible thermal recording medium, if the reversible thermal recording medium has a small width relative to the shipping container width, a problem of a time allotted for erasing in the takt time being short has occurred.